The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-07
NO WAR THIS SPRING.
That rs the Opinion OF Archibald
Forbes, the Famous Correspondent.


Forbes, the Famous Correspondent.
Archibald Forbes, who is regarded
here MS the prince of war correspond
ents. is very positive that there will be
no war, writes London correspond
ent of The New York World. 1t will be
re membered that he married last year
in Washington the daughter of Gen.
Mcigs, and, happy as heis in his do
nestle relations and suffering rs he
does from rheumatism contracted in
in the last Russo Turkish war he would
not probably take the field in case hos
tilties should begin. Nevertheless, he
is an acute observer and few men are
as well informed as he as to the fighting
capacity OF any and all powers. peace
will not be disturbed this spring" he
said yesterday when | called upon him.
"There will be no outbreak between
France and Germany Indeed. through
all this talk of war, | have never
thought it probable.
WhyP" asked.
because the French are not going
to attack and Bismarck is sincere in
his profession of peace. If he had non
been he would have accepted three,
year army bill instead of insisting to
the last extremity on the septenate.
If he had really meant to provoke war
Immediately three years would be am
pie time in which to crush France and
have done with it. You see, there
could not be long war. In truth there
could not be more than one campaign.
More than one would be too much for
the financial resources of either coun-
try, SO terri bly, expensive would war DO
now. Nobody in Germany wants war.
They did not want it in 1870 But il
was forced upon them and they struck
back with terrible impetuosity and eff
feet. 1t would be tenfold worse now.
The French know it and they have
counted the cost and are going to keep
quiet"
"Of course you are well acquainted,
Mr.. Forbes, with the French and Ger
man frontier and the defenses on both
sides. II war should occur, what do
YOU think would be the line of actionP'
''As l said, France does not mean to
attack, and if she did | do not see how
she could ever break the German line
of Notifications, which is much strong
er now than 1870, and | believe it
would be almost as impossible for the
Germans to break through the FreNIh
lines, which have been greatly streng
ened, you know, The point of actu.
contact between France and Germany
is quite narrow, and tn has been for
tilted on both sides to the utmost limit
of engineering skill. | think Bismarck's
idea would be, not to break through
through Belgium and strike France on
a frontier that is almost deienseless.
am sure he has long been trying to-
square himself with Belgium, that he
might do this with her consent In
fact he wanted to have Belgium come
into the German empire and be az
much part of it as Bavaria. His argu
ment was that it would be better fol
Belgium to have the guarantee OF Ger
many than to be under sort Of pro-
tecting egis of the great powers. which
really amounts TO no protection at all.
Belgium. however, preferred to be in
dependent and rejected the adv9nces OF
Bismarck. ! do not doubt though
that the German army would march
right through her territory to attack
France, if she thought it military
necessity"
But would not that involve Ger
many in war with England, who was
one of the signatories of the treaty of
Paris of 1915, by which the neutrality Of
Belgium was guaranteedP"
THAT treaty amounts to moth
There is not a power in Europe G!
would fight to preserve the neutral
of Belgium under that treaty. Eng
land would not. England will fight for
nothing except, possibly, to defend her
territory from invasion.
you think she would not resist
Russian occupation of Bulgarian"
mo, never"
"Do you think that Russia will oc
'upy Bulgarian"
..Tf IL Joo. 70 mill l1a with tho oon